| Logs |
2001-03-04
| Starfall |
| Realms |
Retired
| Reality Fault |
General Info
 |
Fires in the Night
Sanaray Island -- Coast Range
The forested slopes of
the Coast Range are subtly different from the siblings' home farther
north. The soil is drier, and the strong scent of pine is missing. The
trees here are primarily beech, maple, and oak, with some wild fruit
and nut-bearing trees and the occasional sassafras and magnolia. Moving
across country silently is complicated by the thick stands of laurel which
grow where the slope breaks the canopy and allows sunlight to reach the
ground. It is a peaceful and pristine forest, broken only occasionally
by a clearing where lumbering or mining camps are based.
As per a previous suggestion from Alex, Carroll tells Ludmilla that the St. Genevieve siblings wish to be put in charge of grabbing the queen. If Ludmilla wants to assign some more swordspersons to them for more protection, that would be fine also. However, as Alex had privately informed Carroll earlier, ultimately Ludmilla's goal is to get the queen back. For Ludmilla to reach that goal, everything else must be, to some degree, expendable to her. Unfortunately, to Alex at least, her family is NOT expendable.
Ludmilla takes the St. Genevieve siblings to one side after hearing the scout's report and sketches a map of the camp in a patch of dirt. "So. Vhich vay ve goink in?"
Carroll says, "All right. I think we should carefully circle around the camp to the north. This will put us at an unexpected angle, and give us much more time to locate Alex. We can then go directly there."
Alex says softly, "We have plenty of time and can't afford to be discovered, so being cautious is good. If she is in the camp let us try a dash-and-grab, and let Ludmilla's folks deal with the assassins and others. We're agreed on a two-minute lag, yes? If she's in the cave we'll try slinking in without alerting the camp first... how's this sound for a plan?"
Carroll nods, and says, "That's good. I hope it's unnecessary, but it's wise to have thought of."
Alex checks that everyone knows where the post-rescue meeting point is also... and while folks are talking she quietly checks her magical aura, making sure it's as high-energy as Cleo has told her is safe for her. She also reviews the detect and negate poison spells in her mind... then quietly checks with Horatio to be sure he's comfortable and has his similar potions to hand, and with Carroll to be sure they both have their multiple daggers well-hidden.
Carroll smiles and says, "Of course, Alex. I've got extras."
Ludmilla nods. "Am goink vit' you, of course. But..." She looks around to make sure the soldiers are out of earshot. "...ve need you to find her qvickly, Sir Alex. So ve take you three, myself, and bodyguards, and leave Captain Vallenko in charge of diversions."
Alex nods slowly at Ludmilla, her eyes quiet and shadowed within the hood of the heavy cloak, "I will do my best, Baroness."
The tigress continues, "As for approach.. am t'inkink ve go in from cliff side. You sailors can slide down ropes, da?"
Alex says, "Yes, of course... we all can. Er... how many bodyguards, though, please?"
Ludmilla spreads her fingers out, the claws popping up one by one. "Ivan, Donetti, McVay, Thorvald. Vun for each of us."
Carroll asks, "How about an extra for 'Alex' once we've collected her?"
Ludmilla's eyes narrow in a bit of black humor. "T'at vould be my position, Captain."
Alex smiles. Carroll ahhs, then says, "What ever was I thinking? Of course."
Alex eyes the huge, curved claws in quiet amusement... idly she wonders if Ludmilla's ever had to battle someone larger and stronger than herself... and thus have to depend on her brains rather than her brawn. Then she sternly remonstrates with herself -- that's not fair! Focus, focus... getting in and safely out with the queen is the goal. Alex nods quietly, "I am ready when everyone else is, then."
Horatio bristles slightly at Ludmilla considering them expendable. But a moment's thought, and he -- reluctantly -- understands the issue. The queen's life is at stake, and Ludmilla's devoted to her and her safety. He checks his satchel, making sure he has the suitable potions -- anti-poison and healing -- as well as a few starbolts, and the still-balky smoker. I really should have worked on that some more, he thinks, then grimaces. That and a dozen other things. He shivers slightly. I wish I could have told you about this, Jessie, before we left... not that you'd tell the wrong person -- I trust you that much, and more, but... well, at the very least, Ludmilla would have my hide if I had, and I think you'd rather I was still possessed of that.
He takes a deep breath, glancing down to ensure his sword is securely by his side. He considers, one final time, if he should leave it behind... but one final time he decides to bring it. He might not be able to use it well, and Heavens and Elements help him if it trips him up while he's holding aloft a starbolt! -- but he'd actually feel uncomfortable, fighting alongside his siblings in this evening without the possibility of having it if it was needed. A brief memory, of the fights they'd gotten into in the past -- and he squelches it in mild frustration. Honor demands it, this time. The Noble's Burden, to take up arms when the need arises, no matter the consequence to him or to the foe. Besides, he thinks, examining the casing on one of the small starbolts, the definition of "arms" can be very flexible if need be.
Horatio nods, placing the starbolt back into his satchel. "I'm ready," he says quietly.
Alex notices her bookish brother eyeing his sword, and makes a guess at his thoughts. She leans to whisper to him reassuringly, "Remember, Horry, worst comes to worst -- throw them, just like we practiced!" She grins reassuringly at him.
Horatio looks to Alex at her words, and grins, nodding. Oh, and how could I ever forget that day! "Just like then. Thanks, Alex."
Ludmilla nods and turns back to the company of troops, peeling off the four she mentioned to go with the rescue party and giving the final instructions to the rest. The Rangers move out almost immediately in two groups to sneak in and identify the sentries, while the rest follow a few minutes after them. Ludmilla and her chosen rescue party look expectantly at the foxes. "It begins, t'en. Hare vill be up shortly after sunset, Tortoise not until nearly dawn. Good dark night for black fox and black tigress, da?"
Alex grins, her eyes glittering with the repressed excitement she gets just before the battle begins, "An excellent night, yes! Shall we head out for the clifftops then?"
Carroll says, "That's an excellent point," and rummages in his bags for a moment, then begins to brush his fur with a brush from a special case. He concentrates on the white fur, darkening it definitely, changing his look significantly. When he is finished he comments, "As long as it doesn't rain, I'm quite pleased. Otherwise I fear I'll be rather sticky." With a grin he adds, "Shall we?"
The four soldiers Ludmilla has handpicked appear to be Rangers themselves, as they quickly disappear into the brush ahead of the other four, effortlessly silent. It isn't as easy as it appears, and their own progress, while silent, is very slow. The sun has set long before the four climb the hill behind the camp. Ludmilla motions Alex to her as they reach the top. "Vhere is she?"
Alex has been quietly taking measurements and murmuring them to Horatio as they sneak... she glances at her clever brother, "Can you pinpoint yet?" Carroll looks down over the hill, watching the compound below, his ears flicked back to listen to the results of Alex and Horatio's work. Alex adds a little hesitantly, "I think... outside?"
Horatio squints slightly at the scrap of parchment in his hands, and nods. "Exactly, Alex." He seems relieved, tucking the parchment away as he points. "The barracks house closest to the cliff, on the north side of the clearing. Not in the cave at all." Which does beg the question... just what IS in the cave, after all? He glances up to Alex and suddenly blinks. Oh, idiot, idiot! "That is," he says, as smoothly as possible, "Exactly, Alex is outside."
Alex nods, also looking relieved, "Excellent... we'll be between the building 'Alex' is in, and the cave mouth, as a possible escape for them."
Carroll finds the building, making sure he knows which one it is. He turns and says to the others, "Shall we, then?" Alex carefully wraps the medallion's chain securely around her left wrist... then nods silently.
Horatio nods, straightening slightly, but still trying to keep low to the ground. "Let us, then," he says softly. Alex glances up towards the Hare -- it's up, but she knows the Tortoise won't be until very late, and then only a crescent. She turns her gaze towards Ludmilla inquiringly.
Ludmilla nods, and mouths, 'Ready?' to the others. Horatio nods silently at Ludmilla's unspoken question.
The kidnappers did indeed have sentries posted on the hilltop, but the four Rangers leading off the rescue party have already dealt with that threat. The two are propped in standing positions, apparently alert in the faint moonlight of the Hare... but as the tigress and the foxes pass, it is obvious that they will not be seeing anything ever again. Horatio glances at the dead sentries, and shivers slightly... but he turns forward, intent on simply doing what he and the others need to do to rescue the queen. Right now, that's all that matters. Alex glances at the dead sentries, momentarily curious as to whether they also are an unusual species or color, like Ludmilla... then glances away a moment later, curiosity satisfied. Local species, it looks like... a ferret and a bobcat. Carroll doesn't pay much attention to the sentries once he realizes they're dead. He make sure he's where he needs to be, and nods confidently, the only whiteness on his person his eyes.
The Rangers silently uncoil their darkened ropes, tying down the upper ends as they work. Finally, Ludmilla nods and sweeps her hand down. A tiny 'snap' is the only sign that the signal has been given to the other parties... the hourglass 'clock' is running. Alex has tucked her cloak neatly into her belt while the Rangers set up the ropes -- nifty though a flaring cloak might look while coming down, she's no desire to have it catch in something and hang her up embarrassingly! She takes her rope, nods to her brothers, and starts her descent -- careful and smooth.
Horatio glances to Alex, and makes sure that anything dangling upon him is likewise secured, though he doesn't entirely relish the thought of what he's about to do. And yet, if this is the hardest part he'd be eternally grateful. He follows down the rope after his siblings, as silently as possible. Carroll will follow one of the rangers down a rope, moving as carefully and as quickly as he can in the night. He resists the urge to look back at where they're going to, but keeps focused on the rope, the ground, and what he's doing. Don't get distracted now, he chides himself, this is no time to be sliding down the hillside on your tail.
The camp is mostly dark and quiet now. The dim glow of a lamp comes from the single small building at the northeast side of the clearing, and a pair of torches on stakes gutter in the occasional breezes near the largest building. Nothing seems to have noticed the intruders yet.
Carroll slips once, sending a few pebbles skittering down the hill before he manages to tighten his grip and get his feet under himself again. Other than the burst of adrenaline, there seems to be no harm done. Alex blinks, flicking out a hand in a spell-enhancing gesture... and a moment later the pebbles go silent as she magically settles them neatly back onto the cliff. Carroll gives his sister a thankful grin in return, and then starts moving down the hill again. There's a flash of her teeth, white within the shadow of her cloak as she grins at her eldest brother... and then she also goes back to concentrating on the silent descent.
Horatio's breath catches as Carroll slips, and the pebble's start to tumble in a cascade of sound... then blinks as Alex moves and the pebbles go silent. That, he admits to himself as he continues the descent, was novel and unique. Too bad I won't be able to tell anyone else about it! Then his concentration is back on the descent, as silent as possible, as quiet as he can.
The descent completed with no serious incidents, the group turns their attention to the camp. A sentry paces by the corral, apparently not paying a great deal of attention to what he's supposed to be doing. Alex points to the barracks building, the medallion tugging strongly now. Oddly, there are no guards posted there, at least not outside. Horatio narrows his eyes and glances around, trying to keep to the shadows. They must be very sure of themselves, he thinks. That doesn't mean we should be as well. He looks to Alex and Carroll for guidance as to where to go next, hand ready for satchel or sword or starbolt.
Alex stares a bit puzzledly at the medallion... then at the building. Hm... strange that there are no guards. Maybe it's the assassins' way of not attracting attention to where their hostage is? She studies the situation for a moment... then draws a slow breath of realization. She beckons the tigress and her siblings very close... then whispers very quietly, "Door warded. Magic."
Horatio's ears perk. A ward on the door. Oh, blast! Carroll frowns, silently. He looks at the building, searching for another way in, and wonders what the magic does and if it'll get disrupted by their upcoming attack. Alex holds up a finger to pause everyone, squinting carefully at the building. A moment later she blinks slowly... then frowns. Darn them... sneaky beggars. The door is warded fairly obviously. The windows -- in fact the rest of the building as well -- are also warded... but with a much fainter magic. Looks like they've been trying for Rishali's technique; just not as successfully. It... glimmers in and out, like the suppression is faulty. She pulls ears close enough to whisper carefully again, and tersely gives them the information. Then she ponders... could they dig under? Could she perhaps steal some of the magic from the spell, just as she helped Cleo shed energy when they were at Mt. Kali?
Carroll asks as quietly as he can, "Any sense what it does? Summons help? Kills you?" He wonders if it'll become moot in a minute when the distraction happens.
Horatio murmurs, "Kills who's inside?" It's an unpleasant thought, but one that has to be recognized. He glances around. When was that distraction supposed to start...?
Alex studies the building thoughtfully for a moment, then whispers quickly to the others, "Ward will shriek if disturbed; I don't have enough time to defuse it. Suggestion: wait for the distraction to start, then form a flying wedge with Ludmilla as point. Crash entirely through the building, scoop up 'Alex' as we pass by, crash through other wall, keep running. Yes/no?"
Carroll whispers back, "That has a certain appeal to me." He turns to Horatio and asks, "Have you got something we could use to make another distraction when we start off? A fire or big noise on another building, that we can just throw that way as we run?"
Horatio nods slowly. No other choice, really. Wait and pray that we're not found in the next half-minute! "Starbolts, certainly. And smoke? -just after 'grab Alex'?" he asks softly. And if 'yes,' then hope to Elements that it works!
Carroll grins foxishly at his brother, lips closed to prevent the flash of teeth, and swishes his tail somewhat aggressively. Alex covers a grin at her apparently-pyromaniac brother's suggestion to her alchemically-inclined brother... like either of them could resist a chance for more experimentation and mayhem! She cautions, "Remember... don't send it in the direction of the diversion, please! Don't want to hurt our folks!" Horatio blinks to Alex, and bobs his head quickly and silently, glancing around again worriedly. Alex says, "And it should be as we leave, yes. So..." she grins, "-are we ready? I should probably be right behind Ludmilla in the flying wedge, yes?"
Carroll nods, and will try to stay near the front of things. He fingers one of his daggers nervously, and thinks, I hope she's not tied up or something so we don't get slowed down. Alex makes sure she's in position... makes sure there's something on Ludmilla she can grab to get hauled along if necessary -- the sword belt should do nicely... then waits quietly for the diversion to start. Horatio takes in a deep breath, carefully fishing a starbolt from his satchel and tensing slightly, glancing to and fro, ready to run with his siblings and Ludmilla for whatever they're going to find in the house.
Noise erupts right on schedule, the south side of the camp suddenly erupting in shouts as the soldiers move in. The outer sentries were long since dealt with, and two of the barracks suddenly erupt as the ready squads charge out. Alex smiles slowly and darkly, watching the soldiers head for the diversion -- then tenses slightly, waiting for Ludmilla to take off. Carroll crouches behind the tigress and watches for her to start, ready to make his own move. Horatio ponders, briefly, lobbing the starbolt at one of the emptying barracks, but holds his arm; that'll just be a diversion from the diversion.... He blinks, then shakes his head. I won't think that again; too confusing.
Ludmilla launches herself into the wall next to where Arianna should be, smashing through the flimsy thing with almost no apparent effort. The alarm goes off, of course... a warbling shriek that goes on and on, alerting the scrambling dozen or so of the ready squads that they have more than one problem. From the darkness inside the bunkhouse comes a growl, echoed by the canvas-shredding snarl of the tigress, followed a moment later by a yelp that sounds very much like the queen.
Alex sticks close to Ludmilla's tail, her right paw resting on the huge tigress' sword belt as they plunge through the wall, and the left paw up so she can use the medallion. It makes her a bit nervous to be actually in an attack without drawing her sword first... but she consoles herself that right now it's not the most important tool for her to be using. She heads through the darkness for wherever the medallion pulls her, barking, "Light something, Horry!" Carroll darts in after Alex and Ludmilla, a pair of daggers in his hands and at the ready, trying to take in the whole scene inside. He thinks, C'mon, Horry. Shoot the starbolt, and let's not get separated.
Horatio's ears perk startledly at the yelp. The queen! But there's hardly even any time to think let along think about what to do. Light something? Light something! All he has is the starbolt in his hands...! His free hand dives into his satchel, hoping to find something he can use to illumine the room, hurriedly... he fails to find anything in his satchel. Blast and triple blast...! He pauses just outside the hole Ludmilla made, hesitating for just a second... then shrugs. Time to see if this works....! Then he spins, and lobs the starbolt as hard as he can, eastward, hoping to get the thing to land just past the next building.
The starbolt goes off, actinic light spreading over the camp and through the window slits and the gap in the wall. Ludmilla is grappling with a bear, and Arianna-Red is lying in bed with a coverlet pulled up to her chin. As the light floods in she recognized the tigress, even in blackened fur, and throws aside the bedding. Alex reaches out magically, yanking the covers away from the queen -- she knows Carroll will go to the queen -- and they fly across the room as Alex tries to blind the bear. Carroll sees the bear and Ludmilla. He decides he needs to be between the bear and Arianna, and moves around the combatants to the Queen, asking incongruously, "May I have this dance, madame?" while offering her a hand up. Horatio doesn't enter the room just yet, keeping an eye outside and fishing another starbolt out of his satchel, hoping none of the guards come this way.
Arianna smiles, maintaining her dignity even though dressed only in several-days-old undergarments. "I would be honored, milord. Unfortunately..." She gestures to the shackle binding her leg to an iron weight.
Carroll frowns, "Let me see what I can do about that. Hold still." Unfortunately the shackle isn't locked onto Arianna's ankle -- it's welded there. "Whups. This will take more time." He calls outside, "Horatio! Your help here, please!"
Alex's small paws wave as they imitate the gestures necessary to wrap the covers tightly around the bear's head -- and the coverlet obligingly knots itself about the tiger-grappling guard's head. Ludmilla's snarl changes to a very unpleasant laugh as her opponent suddenly finds himself blinded in the middle of a fight. She runs him through with no hesitation whatsoever and turns her attention to the queen. "Hurryink, plizz.." She sees the shackle and swears sulfurously in her native language.
Alex pulls her sword (with a faint feeling of relief -- that's more like it!), then glances around swiftly. "Baroness, a moment please... maybe Horry can break it. If not..." she glances at the huge tigress, then nods, "Carry her. We'll cover you." She looks around... did the bear have some huge weapon? It's now expendable if so... maybe Ludmilla could use that to break the chain too. She spots a simple sword... hm, doesn't look like that would do it.
Horatio's ears perk, hand dug into his satchel. He takes one last quick look around, then dives into the barracks, trying to keep well away from where Ludmilla is about to-- well, just introduced the bear to her friend Steel. Instead he dashes over to where Carroll is. He starts to nod politely to the queen, but blinks and threatens to seriously blush and look away at the sight of her state of dress.... he hurriedly shakes himself and nods, without directly looking at the queen, and says quickly, "Madam, er, good evening.... er, what do you need, Carroll...?"
Carroll tells his brother, "Horatio, we need this chain cut or broken. This weight will be a problem. Have you anything that can melt one of these links?" He adds, "Otherwise, we get to carry an extra fifteen kilos of iron around with us."
Horatio focuses intently on the chain, and digs into his satchel. "Let me see... I don't know, I may have some vitriol...!"
Alex abruptly yanks the covers off the dead bear, tossing them to Carroll, "Here -- some cover's better than none if darts start flying around again!" Then she steps to the hole in the wall, keeping guard.
Horatio reaches into his satchel, but finds he's already holding... the starbolt! That would have to do! He looks at it, briefly, then sets the slender vial about halfway down the chain. "I'd suggest moving as far as you can from it, please," he says distractedly, "-and covering yourself with the covers. This will be very bright, very hot, and... it, ah, might not be pleasant...."
Carroll drapes the covers over the Queen, and asks, "Ready?" He smiles as reassuringly as a black-painted fox can. The Rangers are lined up in front of Alex, with several wary kidnappers facing them, waiting for reinforcements before attacking. Alex crosses the fingers of her free hand, while one ear keeps tilting towards the occurrences within the shack -- but she disciplinedly keeps an alert eye towards the outside. Horatio swallows, drawing his small-sword and holding its blade in his gauntleted hand, poising the relatively heavy pommel over the starbolt. He closes his eyes, lifts up the sword a bit, and brings the pommel down sharply upon the starbolt....
The light is painfully bright in the small room, and the scent of burning metal is somehow both cloying and acrid at the same time. Horatio gauged the placement well, though, and the links rapidly burn through without doing more than throwing a few sparks into the queen's and Carroll's fur. The floor is burning around the starbolt by the time the links fall apart, and the flames suddenly intensify as the material drips down. Alex grins in relief as she hears no yells or yipes as the light suddenly increases. She waves to the four bodyguards, so the group is all ready to dash out as swiftly as they arrived, and calls inside, "We ready to go?"
Horatio blinks, squinting cautiously as he hears the links fall apart, then blinks in surprise. "It worked?" he asks, rather unmindful that the others in the room might have thought he had no doubt. Then, "It worked!" exuberantly.
Carroll casually pats out any sparks in fur, his and the Queen's, then says, "Thank you, Horatio, that's just what we needed." He asks the Queen, "Ready?" then calls to Alex, "I think so," adding with a grin, "-before the building burns down."
Alex laughs, her mood rising, and glances within, waving cheerfully at the queen, "Okay, let's go! -as planned!" and dashes within, to fall into position in the flying wedge heading out. The Rangers drop back toward the building as Alex ducks inside.
Carroll glances outside at the kidnappers, and then gestures to the opposite wall, saying to Ludmilla, "Shall we go?"
Horatio straightens, brushing off the pommel of his sword before returning it to its scabbard, hand quickly going to his satchel for something else they might need soon, hoping to find one of the smokers he had been working on, just in case... Alex grins mischievously at Horatio, her eyes and teeth gleaming in the shadowy hood, "So, found a use for that clunky old thing, eh?" as he puts his sword away.
Horatio looks up, and grins to Alex. "With luck, that's all I'll ever need to draw it for." His smile fades. "We'd better run, it looks like we've got some admirers outside..." Alex nods, smiling reassuringly at Horatio but saving her breath for the run. Ludmilla drops into a tail-twitching crouch and launches herself against the wall. Once again, the wall collapses without too much resistance, and the group follows her through into the flickering shadows.
Carroll tells the rescued vixen, "Back towards the woods, where we have other forces," as Ludmilla makes a new exit. He then takes her hand and leads her out, hoping very much not to lose her again. Alex dashes out, but this time behind her brother Carroll, who's got the queen wrapped up in the blanket in front of him. She's more comfortable now, with her heavy rapier in her right and a dagger in her left paw. Horatio also dashes out with his siblings, trying to keep out of the way of the others, keeping a look to either side and letting Ludmilla lead them forward.
Alex blinks and staggers, with a startled grunt... then simply barks sharply, "RUN!" She winces mentally -- she's never seen such a horrific BLAZE of magical energy before! Underground, it was... the mine shaft, maybe? She mentally crosses her fingers -- let that please not be something ghastly -- like reinforcements being magically thrown in!
Carroll doesn't need to be told twice. He makes sure the Queen is with him, and runs towards the tree line, and hopefully their own people, pulling Arianna along with him if need be. Horatio blinks to Alex, then doesn't ask why, just runs quickly with the others, his hand mentally wavering between his satchel and his sword. The four Rangers fall into rearguard, staying between the enemy and the rescuers. The kidnappers stand for a moment outside the burning building before they realize what is happening, then charge around it to give chase.
Alex nudges Horatio with an elbow as she runs, "Do you have something you can throw behind us just as we enter the trees?"
Horatio blinks to Alex, then nodnods hurriedly. As the Rangers enter the tree line he pauses at the edge, whirling and raising the smoker above his head. Then he brings it down, smashing it against the ground. Please work, please work, please work.... Alex pauses with her brother -- she doesn't want to leave him alone -- then nudges him again, "C'mon, run! Whether it works or not isn't as important as getting away!" Horatio steps back from the... well, merely adequate smoke cloud billowing, then spins and runs after Alex. Whatever has his dashing sister spooked, is not something he wants to face!
Carroll continues on with the Queen, through the trees, curving around to meet up with the rest of their force, presuming Ludmilla is right behind them and letting the Rangers cover the rear and his siblings. He hears the glass of Horatio's vial break, and thinks to himself, Good one, Horatio, regardless of whether or not it worked. As the air touches the mixture in the now-broken bottle, thick choking smoke starts to billow up into the air. Alex and Horatio run for the woods under its cover. The pursuers are halted for a critical minute, unable to see through the cloud and unable to proceed into it without choking on the noxious miasma.
Alex grabs her brother's free paw, slipping stealthily through the woods after her other brother, Arianna, and Ludmilla... the Rangers should be flanking all right, she hopes. Horatio glances over his shoulder. "At least it worked this time," he comments quietly, to cover his nervousness, trying to keep up with his sister.
Alex grins exuberantly, just a flash of white teeth over her shoulder at her wonderfully alchemical brother in the darkness, whispering elatedly, "Of course it did, silly! Now... hush and focus -- we don't want to get separated!" She concentrates on the medallion -- that'll take her directly to the queen. Horatio nods quickly, following closely behind Alex, wondering at what's gotten her worried. Relax, Horry, he thinks to himself. We got the Queen back, and now we can make our way back to Maidstone and be done of this! ...so, why doesn't that seem like it's going to happen in the near future?
Carroll tries to move quietly but quickly through the cover of the dark forest, slowing a little to let his eyes adjust to the darkness. He finally whispers to Arianna the obvious question of, "Are you all right?"
Arianna nods, though it's hard to see in the dim lighting under the trees, especially as the starbolts die down and only the burning building provides illumination. "I'm fine, Captain. They weren't particularly nasty about the whole thing."
Alex slips up quietly with Horatio, next to Carroll and Arianna. She glances ahead, noting Ludmilla at point, then grins. In the darkness it's getting almost impossible to see her, what with the black fur and dark cloak, but it's definitely her voice as she whispers happily, "Hi! This is fun! Are you all having fun too? Are we there yet?"
Carroll comments wryly, "If you say, 'Can we do it again, can we do it again?!' I'm going to poke you one."
Horatio mock-cringes. "I remember that very phrase from those long trips into the country all too well..." Alex's giggle is, unsurprisingly, quite unrepentant.
One of the troopers seems to think that arson might be a good idea, and soon the whole clearing is burning. This has the perhaps unintended side effect of forcing the rest of the kidnappers into the open before they've finished getting armored up, and the fight becomes a rout. Alex blinks at the dancing flames, her fur gleaming with the occasional scarlet reflection. She whispers admiringly, "Wow... Carya, you should talk to whomever decided to do that... you and Horry both -- bet you'd all get along just fine!" Carroll only replies with a good-natured harrumph, and continues around the clearing. Alex grins cheerfully at her brothers and Arianna, pattering along silently next to them as they follow Ludmilla to the rendezvous point.
Horatio blinks at the inferno, and glances to Alex. "I'm not that bad... honest!"
Alex just grins wickedly... then blinks innocently, "Oh, nonono, definitely not, Horry... it was surely just an accident about the garden shed, right? -all three times?" She giggles again.
Horatio follows after his siblings. "It was only four times! Wait, I mean... arrgh... I surrender!" Alex laughs softly, using a fold of the cloak to stifle her giggles. Carroll's whiskers twitch in silent amusement, and he wonders, I wonder what Arianna makes of this.
The fleeing kidnappers turn aside when they come to the knot of defenders, the Rangers again taking point while Ludmilla and Alex share the rear guard, with Horatio, Carroll, and the Queen safely inside the ring. The running furrs, for the most part unarmed and unarmored, generally do not attack and the few who try out of hysteria are cut down with no injuries to the burly soldiers. Alex concentrates more when sharing rear guard -- it's like being on duty, for her. She murmurs to Ludmilla at one point, "Will your captain Vallenko take any prisoners? ...or would that be a waste of time?"
Shortly after the last stragglers run past, Ludmilla's second in command arrives. "All secure, milady. We've got a few prisoners. Shall we withdraw or pursue?" Alex pulls the cloak up closely before the captain reaches them. At his words she nods quietly to herself, pleased with how things went.
Carroll takes the moment to catch his breath and makes sure the Queen is as well covered by what must now be battered, singed, and dirty bedding as he can. It would be rude to stare anyway, and untoward to stare at his sister, so he won't, as much as he might like to. "So, what was so startling that we must all run from it back there? The fire?"
Alex touches Ludmilla's arm gently, so the huge tigress will listen to her, and murmurs, "Did anyone check the mines? Something huge-" she pauses, making sure her brothers can hear too, "-in the mines... something enormous blew up magically in there. Almost knocked me off my feet."
Horatio blinks, looking to Alex. "Something huge and magical? Erm.... not 'Mt. Kali' huge, I hope..."
Alex shakes her head, "No, not that big... but certainly the biggest such burst of energy I've seen outside of that sort of power level."
Carroll's ears go flat in unhappiness, "Maybe we should retreat while we're ahead, and make sure some heavy magical force comes out to see if they can figure out what it was?"
Alex pauses, thinking... then nods to Carroll, "My first thought was worry that reinforcements had just been thrown in. I think withdrawing while we still hold the victory is an excellent idea. And possibly one of the mages we brought along will know what it was?"
Horatio nods quietly. "We should cut while we can...."
Vallenko listens, and turns to Ludmilla. "Baroness? Your orders?" The tigress nods. "Make it so. Vit'draw, ve have vhat ve are comink for."
Alex waits until the captain has withdrawn. Then she puts a small paw on Carroll's arm, to get him to pause a moment. Carroll stops and looks at the black vixen, listening. Alex hastily yanks off the cloak, tossing it over Carroll's arm, then her outer, larger tunic (which also gets thrown over one of her brother's arms), then tosses the cloak back on. She then shakes out and hands the outer tunic to Carroll, smiling, "For her. Hurry." She pulls up her hood again, and waits until Arianna and her brothers are ready.
Horatio nods quickly, briefly adjusting his own cloak and now starting to get nervous himself. Carroll takes the tunic to the Queen and says, "Here, Alex, put this on," as he hands it to her, along with his own cloak.
Arianna smiles delightedly, and squirms into the tunic before dropping the blanket on the ground. "Thank you, Carroll. This is much more the thing." She drapes the cloak over her shoulders and stands a bit straighter. "Let's be off." Alex grins at Arianna cheerfully again, then bounds hastily along after Ludmilla.
The tigress hurries everyone down the trail, the burning camp rapidly fading into the night. The mage-soldiers pass their own reports along via Vallenko as the company reforms. Something big in the mine, they all agree, though just what it was they don't know. Alex is a bit disappointed -- what could it have been? Maybe some local mastermind escaping? -- but doesn't worry unduly about it. Better to get safely home, so she can swap with Arianna. She's carefully tucked the medallion away, so it's quickly to hand should she need it. Carroll nods, and says, "We'll have to follow up another day. After we've dealt with loose ends from this."
Alex glances curiously at Arianna. She certainly has a lot of questions she wants to ask the poor queen! Horatio considers as they head for Maidstone. He thinks it's possible that, if it was enough power, it was Vashtri escaping, if Vashtri was even there... or maybe the leader of this little expedition. It frustrates him a little that they are really no closer to finding out who masterminded this little kidnapping. But it's scant comfort thinking that the next few days might bring them all too close to finding out who masterminded this.
The soldiers and their party camp for the rest of the evening a few kilometers away, and return to Maidstone the next day. The journey is anticlimactic after the night of adventure. Arianna discusses what little she knows as she rides beside the others. Alex listens with fascination, trying not to let the questions burble up out of her before the poor woman has time to answer... but she does hope Arianna has some idea as to who and why this occurred. For heavens' sake... welding someone as relatively unimportant as Alex to an iron ball?! Carroll also listens curiously. In the evening he'd used a wet cloth to get most of the blackening off of himself, so he's sort of a smudged-dirty-gray-and-red fox at the moment, rather like a stuffed toy that needs a trip through the washing machine.
Arianna says, "I never did find out what they wanted with my clothes... they may have intended to use them for ransom messages, or to check for scent, or something... but they were already gone when I woke up, and that annoying iron bar was on my ankle. I gathered that they didn't want to take any chances on me escaping.. you must have impressed them as quite resourceful, Sir Alex."
Alex automatically glances around, reassuring herself that no guards are close... then looks faintly bemused, "Huh. I wonder why."
Arianna chuckles. "Oh, I don't know... foiling an assassination plot and a coup attempt? No idea why that might impress anyone."
Alex blushes faintly, then says, "Well... it wasn't just me, you know." She frowns, thinking, "Um... guys... if they still have those clothes, they might be able to track us still. We should break that connection as quickly as possible."
Horatio taps his chin. "Or for magical tracking.... I'm still wondering why they chose 'Alex' as the object of ransom for such an outlandish set of demands...." Alex nods to Horatio, her ears at a perplexed tilt.
Arianna shrugs. "Opportunity? Unless they suspected we had switched. I never spoke with anyone important though, so it's hard to tell. The guards were a bit nervous about someone who was supposed to show up next week, but that's not a problem now."
Horatio blinks, looking to Alex. "Oh, dear. Yes, a good idea. Erm... I wonder how we should best go about that....
Alex says calmly, "Get the mages to circle her and cut any connections she has with anything, right now. Might want to burn the clothes, so their destruction is sympathetically reflected in a cutting of any link Arianna might have with the other clothes. That might work too." She adds curiously, "I wonder who was coming?"
Carroll reminds, "I think there's at least one link that needs to remain unbroken," as he gives his sister a pointed look. "Soon, though."
Alex says, "So put us both in the circle. Sheesh... seems obvious. Like anyone's going to bother Ludmilla about why we're doing something. That... or get home as quickly as possible."
Carroll says, "That would be my preference." He adds, not quite wistfully, "I look forward to a bath, too."
Alex smiles at her fastidious brother... must be a real bother to him, to be dusty and dirty for several days. Horatio frets slightly, reminding himself to concoct new starbolts and to keep working on the blasted smokers. "There's still a lot of unanswered questions," he notes, then sighs. "But... the answers'll probably come to us ere long."
Carroll says unenthusiastically, "Next week, perhaps."
Alex smiles quietly again, her face not showing her worry. Why is someone trying to kill or kidnap her? She sighs softly, internally... it's enough to unwittingly raise one's hackles. Horatio nods soberly to Carroll. "Well!" he says abruptly, "All the same, for the time being we should go back to Maidstone and rest, at least a little bit."
Ludmilla smiles at that. "Very good idea, da."
Carroll nods. He says, probably for the benefit of the guards, "True. And thank the Queen for her assistance in rescuing Alex." The real-but-disguised Alex leans her chin in her small paws and sighs softly. She doesn't like having things fretting at the back of her mind all the time... and being stalked feels like that.
The group reaches the palace by evening, the soldiers returning to their barracks to clean up before going on a well-earned leave, while Alex and Arianna finally get a moment to switch back. They both look relieved when the process is completed, and Alex is even happier once Ambassador Rishali puts her face back to normal. She sighs in relief, rubbing her face a bit. Neat trick... but she thinks she needs to teach it to Cleo too if it's to be at all useful to them. She also takes a moment to very sincerely and embarrassedly apologize to Arianna... she truly had no idea anyone would ever want to kidnap someone like her! Horatio remains quietly nearby, still trying to wrap his mind around the entire adventure.
Arianna smiles. "If any of us had had any idea, Ludmilla would have sat on me before agreeing to the switch. Not your fault."
Carroll smiles at his returned sister, and says, "It's nice to have you back. I'm sure the rest of the crew, especially Pablo, will think so too."
Alex grins a little tiredly at Carroll, "Oh, believe me... I'm terribly relieved to be back too. I'm sure being a queen is just fascinating... but I wouldn't want to try it without a core support group that I trusted implicitly." She hugs Carroll, then Horatio tightly -- it's nice to be herself again.
Carroll returns Alex's hug, and says, "You could outlaw dresses..." Horatio blinks a little, then hugs Alex back tightly as he laughs at Carroll's comment.
Alex gives Arianna an amused glance, "Well... I wouldn't have agreed to it if I'd known." She giggles at her cheerful oldest brother, "You are silly, Carya!"
Carroll comments, "I wonder what Viscount Westmark will think when he arrives. We did summon him," then grins mischievously.
Ludmilla growls under her breath. "Ve find out."
Alex straightens slightly, her earrings chiming faintly as her ears flatten, "That reminds me..." her voice is coldly angry, "I would like to be present when Don Carlos is asked about his complicity in this... please? If he was indeed part of it... I intend to demand satisfaction!"
Arianna nods, her demeanor matching Alex's almost too exactly. "And Westmark. You certainly deserve to be there for both. Besides, your presence may be helpful in shaking them up."
Horatio nods quietly in agreement with the queen. Alex looks grimly pleased, her eyes still glittering with tightly reined in anger and her smile cold, "Thank you, your majesty. You and Ludmilla can have him after I'm done... if you still want him."
Carroll says, "Myself, I'll be curious to find out what Westmark's daughter knows of or feels of all of this. It shall be an interesting set of audiences."